The day afterMemorial Day, it seems rather appropriate to remember another moment of sacrifice: the case of PFC Bradley Manning. Like Daniel Ellsberg with the “Pentagon Papers,” Manning saw wrong and tried to right it.
Right now Manning is on trial for espionage that would see him imprisoned for the rest of his life, all because he sought to tell the truth about the U.S. government’s military atrocities in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ellsberg, who also went to trial, eventually had all charges against him dropped, but Manning may not be so lucky. Indeed, Manning might have to sacrifice a life of liberty and happiness so that Americans might remember the real dimensions of truth after decades of lies from Republicans and Democrats alike.
And when you think of Bradley Manning today, consider for a moment Mitt Romney, a pro-Vietnam War draft-dodger and corporate raider, who has spent his entire life looking out for himself and his riches, and ask yourself what kind of fucked up country is this that Romney is admired and Manning vilified.
And then know that Manning’s lawyers are arguing that the U.S. government is withholding evidence in the trial that Manning could use to defend himself. Then remember the American revolutionaries, the majority of which were men of common stock, who believed that might does not make right.
Do our memorials do them justice now that we have transmogrified into the misguided might we sought to shed?
[Image: Cliff Owen/AP]
May 29, 2012 at 4:58 pm, David Dannenberg said:
not prosecuting bradley manning would set a terrible precedent. the message it would send is that you can just release classified documents if you personally feel it's justified, which is obviously rather problematic. they shouldn't be withholding evidence, of course, but to simply drop the charges would make no sense. bradley manning, by the virtue of his employment with the U.S. military, was legally obliged to keep classified documents classified.
May 31, 2012 at 3:52 am, Mario J Raso said:
Wake up David! In case you are still asleep, Bradley along with every other government official, including the military, works for we the people! Birgitta Jónsdóttir, from Iceland, emphasizes the political significance of his case, and the implications for civil liberties to come.
" It is of the utmost importance that we do not cave into the fear the US government is trying to impose against whistleblowers and WikiLeaks. The main lesson in this saga is that governments should be open, be accountable, and understand they are not to govern but to serve those who put their trust in them."
Daniel Ellsberg went through the same thing as Manning for exposing the lies and corruption of the Viet Nam war in the Pentagon Papers. We the people have the right to question everything and if any of our employees do not disclose lies, unconstitutional behavior, unlawful acts, violation of oath and the violation of the oath of every one of their subordinates or superiors which are the subject of transcendent national interest and significance then we have no right to complain about being lied to or information withheld from us. Allowing our employees to lie and withhold that type of information from us sets an even more terrible precedent. Peace.
May 31, 2012 at 6:06 am, David Dannenberg said:
daniel ellsberg is a reporter. he does not have access to classified information courtesy of the U.S. government. bradley manning clearly broke the law. when you sign a non-disclosure agreement when you take a job, you are taking on a similar responsibility to that held by bradley manning. secret service agents do not "disclose lies." are you encouraging them to release classified information as well? how about the CIA? should they just publish all their archives? i think not. this is the power of the executive. it has nothing to do with the people.
oh, and manning doesn't work for we the people. he works for the commander-in-chief. even if he did work for we the people, i would make the argument that he harmed we the people by releasing we the people's classified documents.
you say i'm asleep, but you're only awake in some sort of drug-induced psychosis if you think everything is public information.
May 30, 2012 at 1:28 pm, Bradley Manning Support Network » Update 5/30/12: Bradley and open government, two years in jail, and Bradley’s sacrifice said:
[...] Without Bradley’s alleged actions, we wouldn’t know essential facts about the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including basic elements such as civilian death tolls. (Read more…) [...]
July 16, 2012 at 6:09 pm, Bradley Manning trial: He knew he was ‘aiding the enemy,’ says US | Death and Taxes said:
[...] was ‘aiding the enemy,’ says US By DJ Pangburn 1 min agoToday is the first day of the Bradley Manning trial and already the US military is coming out with guns a-blazing. They are suggesting that [...]